Running With the Devil
by hot-topicx
Summary: I'll summarize this at a later date. This is merely a test run of a couple chapters. I haven't even come close to finishing this story yet and it strikes a bit of a chord in my heart to be sharing it, but I want feedback. So read it and let me know what you think via reviews and I'll work on it some more.
1. Chapter 1

"You're not real," Ember snapped, pulling the sheets over her head roughly. "So just go and bug someone else for a while." She hated that she was sixteen years old and still seeing her imaginary friend. Maybe she was crazy, schizophrenic or something. It drove her mad, and not even just because he hung around. It was maddening because he only came around on her birthday, then stayed until midnight the following night. At least if he was around all the time, she could know for sure that she was nuts and could admit herself into the nearest loony bin. But he wasn't. She felt him sit on the bed next to her and she scowled. "Lock, go away!"

"Alright, well, I have some work to do anyway. I'll be back later with your birthday present," the voice said above her. She felt him hover over her for a moment as though he planned to kiss her forehead but couldn't. Then he was gone.

Deep down, Ember knew that he wasn't imaginary. He was just as real as she was, but no one else could see him. When she was younger and spent time with her friends (ex-friends, thanks to Lock), they could all see him. But as they got older, they stopped believing he was there. Ember couldn't stop believing. He was there every year, and had been since her birth. Why, she didn't know. She never understood what it was about her birth, other than that it was the day before Halloween, that attracted him to her. She knew he wasn't human, though he appeared to be. He hadn't aged a bit since she saw him when she was three. He always looked the same. Messy, maroon hair, mischievous blue eyes that turned black when he was angry, and that same spider tattoo drawn on the left side of his face. As a whole, he was definitely attractive, but she hated that he existed at all.

She climbed out of bed and went about her morning routine as though it were a normal day. She stopped caring about her birthday years ago (another thing Lock was responsible for), so she tried not to think about it. She found her mind wandering to what stupid prank Lock had planned this year. Every year, he tried to scare her. It never worked anymore, though, and she could see how much it frustrated him. In turn, each year, the pranks were getting more and more on the dangerous side. She had a theory that he'd kill her before it was over with. If only she knew how true that was. If only either of them knew.

**Lock climbed back through the bedroom window, a box in his hand. She was gone. Of course. Well, he could be patient so he decided to wait. Within five minutes, he'd lost interest in waiting and started to look around her room. Not so much snooping, but he was curious what she'd been up to this past year in his absence and he knew she wouldn't tell him. It almost hurt him that she acted so put off by him. After all, he's always been there for her. Not to mention, he was really her only friend at this point. That was kind of his fault, though, so he understood to an extent.**

**He came across a snapshot that was tucked into a book. It was Ember and some guy in front of a scenic background. Lock felt a pang of emotion and resisted the urge to shred the photo. Instead he flipped it over, hoping for some sort of explanation as to who the man was. Her cousin, he realized with a flood of relief. He frowned and tossed the book back onto the dresser, not caring about making sure it was back in it's place. He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. Why had the picture made him so angry? He wasn't jealous, he couldn't be. He'd seen this girl at her worst, at her awkward stages. He felt nothing more than brotherly love for her. At least, he was pretty sure that was it.**

**He sat up quickly when the door opened, revealing the slight ginger-haired girl. A smile touched Lock's features for a moment until he saw that it was clearly not going to be returned as she slammed the door behind her, ripping a Sweet 16 crown from her hair and throwing it aside. She took no notice of him as she threw herself, facedown, onto the mattress. He bit his lip and looked at the window, considering a quick exit. He changed his mind, though, when he looked down at the little box in his fingers. Instead, he spoke. "Rough day?"**

**"Why are you still here?" Muffled, but with unmistakable annoyance.**

**"I said I was bringing you a birthday present," he replied, shaking the box lightly so she'd notice it. He smiled slightly when she sat up and glared at him before snatching the box up. It was a start.**

**"What is this? Is this a skull?" she asked, lifting the necklace from the package and studying it. Lock admitted that it was a little morbid, but Ember was a wondrously morbid person. Part of why he liked her.**

**"Yeah, a bird's," he replied, taking the necklace from her fingers gingerly. "See, here's the beak. It's not much, but I made it myself and I figured you'd like it." He inched closer to her slightly, wrapping the chain around her neck and clasping it. He pulled her hair through and caught a whiff of her shampoo, growling a bit and covering it with a cough when she looked at him. "Sorry. Tickle in my throat. Anyway, you like?"**

**"Yeah, it's pretty cool. Thanks, Lock," she murmured, laying down once more.**

**"Well, it's not over yet. I have one more surprise for you tonight," he replied, standing to his feet with a mischievous grin. "I think you'll like it." He hoped that this year would be the year he'd scare the life out of her.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ember stumbled along the path, grumbling softly under her breath. "Lock, it's dark out, why do I need a blindfold?" she asked, annoyed. She would much rather be in bed sleeping, but he refused to let her. She had to admit that the first part of his gift was pretty cool. After all, a bird's skull was hard to come by and now she had one to wear round her neck all the time. So, she figured this surprise would be well worth it.

"Alright, take it off," Lock muttered in her ear. She eagerly snatched the cloth from her eyes and looked around. She made a face when she recognized the abandoned hospital at the farthest edge of town. "Trust me, this is gonna be cool. Just go inside and wait."

Ember rolled her eyes and did as he instructed, sitting down on the floor. She waited patiently for Lock until she was sure it had been an hour. She sighed and laid back, trusting him. Maybe it was just one of his stupid pranks. Even so, she was sure it was nothing she couldn't handle. Slowly but surely, the girl fell asleep.

Ember stirred slightly and opened her eyes, trying to pinpoint the smell in the air. She sat up quickly, realizing it was smoke. She looked around and saw that the building had caught on fire. Panicking, she looked frantically for signs of Lock before bolting to the door, finding it locked. She screamed, banging on the door violently in hopes someone would hear her, but she knew better. Where had Lock gone? Or was this his fault? Fueled by her anger, she banged on the door harder before giving up on it. She ran to find another door or a window or anything. She came to the realization that this wasn't an ordinary hospital, but a sanitarium for crazy people. Everything was barred and her screams quickly turned into cries of agony, tears streaming down her face.

"Lock!" she called as loud as she could manage. The fire had spread quickly and she was finding it harder to breathe. "Lock! Help me, please! You win, you scared me, now let me out!" She could manage no more than that, coughing harshly as the air filled with smoke. Her eyes stung and she could no longer inhale without a rough, burning sensation in her throat. She started to feel lightheaded and eventually, she collapsed onto the floor and curled into a ball. After that, everything went black as she fell into the most painful sleep she'd ever endured.

**"Lock!" He could hear her, but he couldn't get to her. He had no clue how this went so wrong. The fire was supposed to be small, just enough to scare her. How had it spread so quickly? He honestly had no clue. He tried with all his might to get through the door, but his human form wasn't strong enough. Not to mention the heat was unbearable. Eventually, Ember's cries stopped and that made him panic. In this state, he managed to kick down the door and rush through the building. He covered his face with his sleeve and ran through the fire, ignoring the burning sensation in his legs. **

**Lock found her in a small room, under a window that she was clearly trying to get the bars off of. He lifted her into his arms and kicked out the glass, slipping through the window carefully. He carried her to a nearby patch of trees and laid her on the ground. He laid his ear on her chest, but found no heartbeat. He scrambled away from her lifeless body and pressed his back against a tree, letting out a sob. "No," he whispered softly, burying his face in his hands for a moment. He crawled back over to her and shook her gently. "Ember, come on wake up. Please, I'm sorry." He pulled her to him in a rough embrace, trying to make her stir. "Ember, please! I'm so sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen! Wake up!" He buried his face in her shoulder, letting the tears fall freely now.**

**Lock stayed like that for a long while, ignoring the sirens when they came to put out the fire. He simply rocked her body back and forth, sobbing into her chest. He was grateful he made it when he did because the flames had not touched her. She remained unscathed and perfect as ever. He would've given anything to see her open her eyes again, to hear her mutter 'Just kidding' and shove him away. Thinking this made him break down again, his shoulders shaking violently as he held her tight. Finally, he was unable to shed anymore tears. He set her back onto the leaves and wiped his face on his sleeve, gazing at her. That was when a thought occurred to him. Maybe there was still time.**

**"I'm gonna make this right," he whispered to her corpse, kissing her cheek softly before picking her up again. He carried her back to the portal to Halloweentown, staying hidden. He watched a few monsters come out of the portal and realized it was after midnight; Halloween. He didn't want anyone to see him pull her through, frightened they might ask too many questions so he waited until he saw a clear gap in the stream of monsters-turning-humans. He darted through the hole and found himself in the cemetery, just on the edge of the pumpkin patch. He was careful not to get too comfortable and change back into his devil form. Otherwise, he'd never be able to carry her the rest of the way. He tossed her over his shoulder and climbed into the tree house, slamming all the windows and doors shut and locking them. He laid her out on the bed gently and sat on his knees next to her, gripping her hand tightly.**

**He woke up roughly an hour later, disoriented and confused. He lifted his head off the mattress and looked over at Ember, still gripping her hand. He let it fall when he saw that she was still dead, fighting back a new wave of tears. He stood to collect her body, intending to give her a proper burial service, when her eyes fluttered open. She looked around the room and sat up, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. He nearly tackled her back down with joy, but refrained. "Ember!" he murmured, wiping a few fresh tears from his eyes and tugging her into a tight hug.**

**"Is that my name?" she asked, not bothering to hug him back. His heart fell slightly, but he knew that this might happen so he remained strong, letting her go.**

**"Yes, your name is Ember," he replied, letting her sit back and look at him. "Ember Blake. I'm Lock. We're friends.'**

**"You have a tail," she replied bluntly, making him smile.**

**He flicked his tail from side to side and studied her as she watched it. Then, he wrapped it around her waist, lifting her off the bed so he could sit down. She struggled slightly but gave up as he set her in his lap. "Yes, I have a tail. I'm a devil. I don't look like one because I'm in my human form right now, but I'll change back in a little while."**

**Ember nodded, as though this were the most normal statement in the world. She fiddled with her necklace a bit before sighing softly. "You're cute," she muttered, climbing out of his lap and walking around his bedroom. "So where am I?"**

**"Halloweentown," he replied. "Well, right now, you're in my bedroom, but we're in Halloweentown. You died in a fire. Inhaled too much smoke. So I brought you here."**

**"So you saved me," she murmured, leaning against his wardrobe and watching him carefully. "How did the fire start?"**

**Lock swallowed and held her gaze. "A rogue bottle rocket caught some insulation on fire," he replied. He was relieved when she nodded in response, seeming to buy it. He was surprised when she bounded across the room and into his arms. She pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss, shocking him out of kissing back right away. He barely had time to really get into it before she pulled back.**

**"Thanks for saving me." And with that, she was gone. "I'll be back before sunrise."**

**Lock walked over to the window and watched her skip out to the cemetery, stopping every few graves to study the names. He licked his lips, savoring the taste of her before making his way back over to the bed and collapsing onto his back. He was exhausted.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ember walked through the empty, cobblestone pathways of the rundown city. She was skeptical about anyone living here, but she trusted Lock. Not to mention, he lived in a tree house. She didn't know why she trusted Lock, but she did. Maybe because he was the first thing she saw, maybe because they were friends in a past life, maybe it was just cause she didn't want something that cute to be untrustworthy. Regardless, she trusted the boy.

A witch zoomed by on a broomstick, causing Ember to jump into the shadows to hide. When another beastly looking creature came by, she was sure he'd spot her but he took no notice and kept going. Puzzled, she lifted her hand to examine it, but found nothing but shadows. She held it out into the dim light and it returned to normal, but when she pulled it back again it returned to a dark, shadowy grey. She was delighted by this and decided to walk in the shadows of the town, seeing as there were plenty of them. She didn't really want to be noticed anyway, she just wanted to explore.

After seeing all the creatures filing in the same direction, she decided she was going to follow them. She saw they were all going through a force field of some sort and becoming human on the other side. Wondering what this was all about, Ember walked through the portal herself and found that she was in a completely different land. She made a mental note of where the portal was and made her way down the dark streets of this new town. She found that she was still invisible to those who lived here, except children that came along. What kids were doing out this late at night was beyond her, but she accepted it. She decided to follow a particularly nice child home and play with him for a while before bidding it goodbye and making her way to the parents' bedroom. The couple was asleep so she tiptoed to the bed. She found the man attractive, so she reached out and touched his cheek. He woke with a start and looked around frantically, not seeing Ember there. He shook his head and laid back down for rest.

It was then that Ember caught sight of the time. She had promised Lock she would be back by sunrise and she only had half an hour left. She felt rushed, so she tried to run from the house. She found that she didn't quite run, but rather glided along. Her feet didn't seem to touch the ground and when she looked to see if she was floating, she saw nothing but smoke. She was sure she was moving faster than she could have on her human legs, so she thought it was cool. She just didn't know how to turn it back off.

Once back at the portal, she stopped and watched a few other creatures climb back through. Some were carrying packages and vials, the other laughing and having a good time. Ember floated through the barrier with ease and stopped in the pumpkin patch. She thought about how she'd be able to return back to her normal form and decided to just concentrate on what she looked like. After a few minutes, she felt her feet planted firmly on the ground and she smiled. _Him saving me must have turned me into some sort of monster, too,_ she thought to herself as she climbed the ladder into the tree house. She ran and jumped onto the bed with the sleeping Lock, startling him awake.

"Hm?" he hummed, turning to see her. She felt a shiver run up and down her spine at the sound of his hum and she resisted the urge to pull him into a kiss.

"Watch what I can do," she said happily, climbing over him and out of the bed. She walked into the area in the room that his small lamp didn't touch and turned to look at him. "Can you see me?"

Lock rubbed his eyes and looked around the room. "I can hear you, but not see you."

Ember squealed to herself and walked out of the shadows. "There's more," she murmured, concentrating on phasing her physical form into smoke.

"Wow," Lock murmured, laying back again. "That's pretty cool. We'll go to the library tomorrow and see what kind of monster you are."

She could tell that he was eager to go back to sleep, but she was just too excited to let him. "Wait, Lock," she said, bounding to the bed again and crawling under the covers with him. "Can I sleep with you tonight? At least until I find a bed or couch or something." She snuggled close to him under the covers and found herself incredibly comfortable.

"I guess," was his muffled reply, hardly paying her any mind. "There's a couch in the living room, Ember." He rolled away from her and curled into a ball.

"But..." She looked at him, then at the wall before climbing out of the bed. She felt dejected as she trudged towards the door, the couch in mind.

**"But what?" Lock muttered, rolling back over to see her heading for the door. He didn't intend to treat her so harshly, but she had scared him out of a deep sleep and he was tired.**

**"I just wanted to stay with you," she murmured, turning back to look at him briefly before heading back to the door.**

**"Oh," he said simply, biting his bottom lip. "Ember, you don't have to go. I'm just tired. Besides, you weren't really the...touchy feely type before, so I'm not sure how to respond." It was true. He was so used to her trying to shove him away with proclamations that he didn't exist, he had no clue how to handle her clinging to him. As he watched her come back to the bed and crawl under the covers next to him, it occurred to him that he was all she had now. She didn't know anything about herself, much less this dangerous world around her, and it was up to him to remind her. Part of him didn't want to because he liked this new Ember. He liked the way she snuggled to him, liked that she kissed him in gratitude, liked that she enjoyed being close to him. But he knew she'd lose everything that he already loved about her if he let this continue. "Tomorrow, I'm gonna try and remind you who you were."**

**"Mmkay," Ember replied, pressing her body to his tightly. He realized she was cold and just wanted the warmth. "But tonight, we can pretend I like being close to you."**

**He smiled, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't bother to tell her that he'd change back before morning or how his razor sharp teeth had a tendency to snap when he was asleep. Lock just wanted to pretend, just this one night, that they were two, normal teenagers. Content as he was, he was already developing a plan in the back of his mind as to what he should and shouldn't tell her. He was arrogant and didn't want her to know he actually worked for Oogie Boogie, so he decided to keep that bit from her. It's not like she'd stumble upon his lair or anything. He wouldn't lie, just tell her half of the truth. He'd tell her he was the leader of the trio (which he was, self-appointed), he'd tell her that he wasn't very liked in town and she might not be, and he'd tell her about herself. She could ask the questions, and he would answer them to the best of his ability.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Telling Ember about herself proved to be much more of a challenge than Lock had anticipated. He was way too easily distracted and impatient to just sit down to answer her questions. He wanted to, but he couldn't help but think there was something better to do. It had been a week and all she'd discovered was that she had been headstrong and like the color black. He contemplated just taking her back to her previous home to snoop, but he didn't think she was ready for that yet. Her life was on the rather depressing side. The good thing though, was that the longer she was around him, the more like herself she became, as though her personality was coming back to her.**

**"The good old skeleton man had to register me today," she muttered to him, snatching a gummy worm from his fingers and chomping down on it. "Apparently the mayor was sick. We actually spent a majority of the time organizing the office."**

**"Learn anything interesting?" Lock asked, hissing at her for snatching his snacks. She hissed back, putting a pleasant smile on his face as he ate a few more worms.**

**"Nothing that I didn't already know. It's not like he prances about, spilling all of his master plans to every newcomer. He did tell me to be wary of who I lay my allegiances with, though. This was after I told him where I was staying. Apparently, he thinks you're planning to overthrow him."**

**Lock laughed nervously and shook his head, tossing the rest of the bag to her. "Good, ole Jack," he muttered, standing to his feet. "Paranoid as ever." He walked to his bed, collapsing back onto he mattress. He had to pick up a lot of stuff from the human world for Oogie the night before and it was hell finding it all. He was still exhausted and sore as a motherfucker. He groaned softly when Ember glided to the bed and plopped onto his stomach. This was one negative outcome to her transformation. She was so confident and headstrong, causing her to care less and less about his wishes and boundaries. He hissed softly and snaked his tail around her waist to lift her from his stomach and set her on the bed beside him. "Do you need something?"**

**"Tell me about me," she murmured, laying on her stomach in the small strip of the bed that he wasn't taking up. She rested her chin on his chest, the closeness making it nearly impossible to focus on anything but how badly he wanted to pull her into a kiss.**

**"Like what?" he asked, ignoring the urge to touch her face. Instead he rolled onto his side and let her face his back.**

**She simply crawled up to him and dropped her face into his, her head upside down and her hair cascading behind her like a glorious curtain of fire. "I dunno, what's my favorite animal?"**

**"Fox," Lock muttered, refusing to look at her. He shut his eyes tight and buried half his face into the pillow in an attempt to forget her.**

**"What kind of music do I listen to?"**

**"Rock."**

**"What kind of rock?"**

**"Hard, sometimes the screaming kind."**

**"Is this my natural color?"**

**Lock's eyes popped open and he gazed at her in confusion. She was no longer watching him, but was instead sitting beside the bed, examining her hair. "I'm not sure. I never really thought about it, but I'm pretty sure it's natural. It suits you, anyway."**

**Ember sighed softly and he heard the longing in it; the frustration-the need to know who she was. Suddenly, he couldn't resist her anymore. Before he even knew what he was doing, his tail had turned her face towards his and he surged forward into a kiss. She remained perfectly still for a few seconds, probably frightened he would bite her if she threatened to break or further the kiss. He came close to taking off her nose a few days earlier for getting to close to his face and she wouldn't talk to him for hours. He could only imagine what she would do if he snapped at her now. When he saw she wasn't going to return the gesture, he pulled back and studied her face.**

**"Am I in love with you?" was all she asked, looking incredibly confused and torn up about something.**

**Lock sighed and laid back again, tossing his forearm over his eyes. He'd already promised himself he wouldn't lie to her. "No," he hissed, the acid in his tone making it clear that he would hear no more questions.**

* * *

**Weeks passed without much change in their routines. Ember had grown closer to a few other people in town, Shock and Barrel included. Lock also noted that she had a certain fondness for Shadow, a creature that had once belonged to Oogie before running away to take a stand. This bugged him in more than one way. First, he was just plain jealous that her attention had been snagged by another male. Second, he was worried Shadow might spill about Oogie Boogie, which could be bad on a couple of levels. While it was a minor offense, Lock was lying to Ember and she would be pissed. Not only that, she would be hearing the story from someone on the opposing side. That could be bad because it could turn her against him. He had made the decision to tell her everything a day too late.**

**Ember stormed into the tree house, throwing her bag onto the table in front of Lock and placing her hands on her hips in front of him. He simply looked up at her, an eyebrow raised as he munched down on his lunch. "Yes?"**

**"Who do you work for?" she demanded, shifting her hands from her hips to fold her arms across her chest.**

**"Uh…what?" Play it safe or play it stupid.**

**A growl erupted from somewhere deep inside Ember, sending chills up his spine. So playing it stupid was a bad idea. She slammed her fist down on the table in front of him, causing him to nearly choke on his meal. "Who do you work for, Lachlann?" she hissed menacingly. He almost preferred the growl. At any rate, he didn't like the threat.**

**"Why the fuck does that matter?" Lock snapped, ignoring the fact that she called him by his full first name (a fact that he didn't quite remember telling her after her death). He stood up and took his plate to the sink, washing it out quickly. His plan was to disappear and let her find her own way to let off steam before one of them got injured. She was a step ahead of him, though, and he turned to find her firmly planted in front of the door. "Move."**

**"No."**

**It was Lock's turn to growl. "Move, Ember."**

**"No, Lock."**

**They stared at each other for a moment before he lunged at her. They collided and rolled to the floor, hissing and spitting at each other. It was almost as though cats were fighting. Two very large, very mean cats. Teeth gnashed against flesh and nails ripped at cloth as they fought to dominate each other. Ember was winning when Lock flicked his wrist and summoned a dozen corpses from the ground. They got Ember into an iron grip and pinned her to the floor, to which she responded with a cry of fear and anger.**

**"Fucking cheater!" she spat, struggling to break free. She tried to kick him, but was stuck.**

**Lock stood up over her and caught his breath, smoothing out his hair some. He crouched down next to her and smirked, gripping her face in his fingers with more force that he'd intended. "Ember, you should know better than to fuck with me."**

**"Call them off," she demanded, a hint of fear hidden in her voice. "You're just pissed off because I was winning, cheater. Call them off."**

**"No, I think I might go into town and grab some ice cream. I'll leave you here to think." He stood up again and started towards the door, stopping when he heard her wail in agony.**

**"Lock, please!"**

**Letting out an exasperated sigh, Lock sent the bodies away. He walked back to Ember who scrambled back from him, pressing her back against the wall and nursing her wrists. He sat across from her and ran a hand through his hair. "Who told you?"**

**"No one, I found Oogie by myself. He likes what I can do and wants me to be his right hand man-or woman, I suppose."**

**Lock made a face at this. He didn't like the thought of being replaced, even if it was by Ember. "That's my job."**

**"Yeah, and then you decided to keep us a secret from each other. He said you deserve to be punished. Said your head is getting too big. Can't say I can argue with that."**

**"How did you know my name?"**

**"What?"**

**"You called me 'Lachlann'. I never told you that was my name."**

**"Oh, my shadow told me."**

**"Your shadow?" Lock swallowed, cursing himself for not remembering this little detail. Shadows never forget. Her shadow knew more about her than he did, and what's worse was that to communicate with it, she needed another shadow. The Shadow to be exact. What else does he know about them? He knew her spending time with Shadow was an awful idea. "And what else did your shadow tell you?"**

**As Ember's eyes narrowed with suspicion, he knew he'd scratched the surface of a subject he should have left alone. After all, she'd just found out that he had been keeping Oogie from her. Now she would think he was keeping other details as well. She'd go running to Shadow the first chance she got.**

**"Nothing," she replied, truthfully from what he could tell. "She was just proving to me that she knew things by telling me she remembered you from when I was alive. I didn't know my shadow could talk. Oh, there was something else I wanted to show you."**

**Lock tried to hide his relief as she changed the subject and forgot about her suspicions. He watched carefully as she lifted her hand, palm upward. At first, he thought she was losing her mind, but then he saw it and understood. Swirling in the palm of her hand was a wispy, black substance that seemed to be pouring from her sleeve like smoke. At first, he thought it was just a new found power of hers (she was very talented when it came to manipulating smoke and shadows), but then the substance started to take shape. After a moment or so, he had backed across the room as the shadow jumped from her palm to the floor in the shape of a black kitten.**

"I was hoping you could help me name him," Ember murmured, glancing up to find Lock pressed against the wall opposite her. "Shadow said I tamed…what's the matter?" She watched him, puzzled, and lifted the shadow puppet into her arms. She thought he was rather cute, but her friend looked torn between repulsed and mortified. Then, something Shadow had told her that morning rang in her mind. _'Oogie Boogie uses them to harm people, but I don't think that's right.'_ "It's okay, Lock. He's not going to hurt you. He's mine. Not a lick of malicious intent in his mind. Unless I tell him to, of course." She scratched the kitten behind the ears and smiled as it rolled onto it's back, purring happily. "Besides, he doesn't even like Oogie. I don't think he trusts the good ol' bag of bugs."

Lock seemed slightly relieved and took cautious steps back to where she stood. "Well, now you have a pet, which means I need one," he said, taking a great dare and reaching out to touch the puppet. When no pain came to him and the puppet simply nuzzled his finger, Lock relaxed almost completely and sat back on the bed. "I'm thinking a hyena pup."

"That's so you," Ember replied, letting the shadow hop from her arms and roam around the room.

* * *

_Okay, that's all I have so far. If it sucks, tell me. If you want me to continue, please tell me. I want reviews on this, guys. Thanks. 3_


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